This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with displays and associated backlight structures.
Electronic devices such as computers and cellular telephones have displays. Some displays such as plasma displays and organic light-emitting diode displays have arrays of display pixels that generate light. In displays of this type, backlighting is not necessary because the display pixels themselves produce light. Other displays contain passive display pixels that can alter the amount of light that is transmitted through the display to display information for a user but do not produce light themselves. As a result, it is often desirable to provide backlight for a display with passive display pixels.
In a typical backlight assembly for a display, a light guide plate is used to distribute backlight generated by a light source such as a light-emitting diode light source. Optical films such as a diffuser layer and brightness enhancing film may be placed on top of the light guide plate. A reflector may be formed under the light guide plate to improve backlight efficiency.
To provide satisfactory backlighting, it may be desirable to locate one or more strips of light-emitting diodes on the edges of a light guide plate. A strip of light-emitting diodes may be formed by mounting a row of light-emitting diodes onto a flexible printed circuit. Light-emitting diode strips are typically attached at the edges of the light guide plate so that the light-emitting diodes can direct light into the light guide plate.
To hold the strip of light-emitting diodes and the layers of the backlight assembly in place, backlight components such as these may be mounted in a display chassis. Display layers associated with the active portions of a display may also be mounted to the display chassis.
A typical chassis has a plastic portion that is referred to as the p-chassis and a metal portion that is referred to as the m-chassis. The p-chassis generally has a rectangular ring shape for receiving rectangular backlight and display layers. The m-chassis generally has a corresponding rectangular ring shape that provides the p-chassis with rigidity and helps hold the display layers in place within a device housing.
In compact devices and devices with multiple light-emitting diodes, challenges may arise in forming a display chassis. When space is at a premium, the dimensions associated with conventional chassis designs may make a chassis more bulky than desired. Light-emitting diodes produce heat, which can be challenging to dissipate properly during operation. Mounting structures associated with a conventional chassis may also be weaker than desired.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic devices with improved display chassis structures.